The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is not the enemy of the United States, United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. "We are complementing each other, we are not enemies here," Mazrouei told an industry conference in Abu Dhabi, addressing the relationship between OPEC and major consuming countries like the United States. OPEC, and other leading global oil producers led by Russia, agreed in December to cut their combined oil ...

Miami’s international airport has been forced to shut down one of its terminals early for three days due to a shortage of security agents sparked by the partial US government shutdown now in its 21st day. From Saturday through Monday, Terminal G -- one of six at the airport -- will close at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT). “Flights that were previously scheduled to depart from Concourse G this Saturday, Sunday and Monday will be relocated either to Concourse F or Concourse H,” airport ...

The partial US government shutdown sparked by a standoff over funding for US President Donald Trump’s border wall project became the longest in the country’s history on Saturday, entering its 22nd day. The shutdown -- which began on December 22 -- surpassed the previous record of 21 days, set in 1996 when President Bill Clinton was in office. Trump threatened to keep the US government partially shut for months or years on Friday after he and Democratic leaders failed to resolve their ...

A distinguishing feature of the world’s pariahs is their hypocrisy. During the 20th century, the examples of hypocrisy could be witnessed in the Eastern bloc countries, where the elites were living separately from the people, positioning themselves as the working class advocates. For example, while the country was desolated by famine, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il became the biggest private buyer of Hennessy Paradis cognac. Iran’s theocratic regime decided to follow the &ldquo ...

The US military has removed some equipment from Syria, a defense official confirmed Thursday, following a report that the drawdown ordered by President Donald Trump is now underway. "I can confirm the movement of equipment from Syria," the official told AFP. "For security reasons, I am not going to provide further details at this time." In the meantime, Russia’s foreign ministry said on Friday that it had the impression that the United States wanted to stay in Syria ...

A U.S. aircraft carrier sailed into the Gulf on Friday, becoming the first since America's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in May and breaking the longest carrier absence in the volatile region since at least the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The arrival of the USS John C. Stennis comes as Iranian officials have returned to repeatedly threatening to close off the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Gulf through which a third of all oil traded by sea passes. Iranian Revolutionary Guard ...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Turkey did not approve of US sanctions on Iran, as they would lead to destabilization in the region, Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency reported. "The US decision on the sanctions against Iran puts regional safety and stability in danger," Erdogan said. "I want to stress once more that we, Turkey, do not support these decisions." "We will continue to be in solidarity with brotherly Iran at a time when ...

The Trump administration is eager to strike a deal with Saudi Arabia to share nuclear power technology with the kingdom as its domestic industry struggles to compete with lower-priced power sources such as natural gas, according to Reuters. Before any US sale, the Trump administration needs to strike a nuclear cooperation pact, known as a “123 agreement,” with Saudi Arabia. In such an agreement, countries make pledges about how they will and won’t use the nuclear equipment they ...

Statements made by leading Turkish officials in recent days have been met with ridicule and contradicted in the United States and other countries for being inaccurate and misleading. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday he spoke with President Trump about northeastern Syria, where he said he could launch a new operation against U.S-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters at “anytime,” The Associated Press reported. Erdogan allowed that he had been given “positive ...

That’s what Iranian President Rouhani said on November 6, one day after President Trump’s new round of anti-Iran sanctions took effect. So, the immediate reaction is: “Oh really? How?” It is not clear whether this claim was merely an immediate response and a political pose for domestic consumption, or an illusion on President Rouhani’s part, or that he really thinks or was advised that it is possible to break and circumvent the sanctions. In my opinion, it is all of ...